NASA, Navy sign agreement on carrier landings

May. 2, 2013 - 11:39AM
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NORFOLK, VA. — The Navy will pay NASA nearly $2 million a year to conduct field carrier landing practice at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

NASA and the Navy made the announcement on Thursday. The Navy says the E-2 Hawkeye and C-2 Greyhound aircraft will conduct up to 20,000 passes annually at the site.

The money will go toward upgrading the facility’s airfield and conducting repairs. The Navy has also agreed to reimburse NASA for support services it uses during training.

The flights may begin as early as this summer and the Navy will begin making improvements to the airfield in the next few weeks. That includes construction of concrete pads and installation of airfield lighting to simulate the deck configuration aboard a Navy aircraft carrier.